Welding and brazing



Mann 25, 194.1. H, J NESS 2,235,965

WELDING .um Buzme 2' STEEL /4 mow-@PPM Alm 5 wfg/DER Z STEL i INVENTOR @fold Mem Patented Mar- A25,"119-41 UNITED -STATES 4PA'ri-:Ii'r oI-Fica wELmNGANnnnAzlNG.

Harold J. Ness, Bloomeld, N. J. Application January s, 193s, semi No. 184,031 t -13 calms. (ci. 11a-nz) This invention relates to the metallurgical operation of welding or brazingof metal parts' and particularly to the uniting of parts of like or vunlike metals by an intermediate metal of, lower 5 melting point capable of alloyin'g with or'securely bonding to the parts to be united.

Heretofore. in the art of brazing of such metals as ironor steelfconsiderable difiiculty has m been encountered due to the oxidation of the parts, the formation of an oxide of the metal i preventing a proper bonding therewith of the copper or other welding or brazing material employed. The process ordinarilyl employed ,con-

slats in applying copper or a copper alloy` at the joint between the parts'to be welded and heating the parte tov above the melting point of the brazing or welding material, so that the copper alloys with the steel at the joint whereby an a1- loy bond is produced. The processis carried out in a hydrogen, or cracked `hydro carbon gas 'atmosphere in order to prevent or minimize oxidation ofthe 4 A `This process is objectionable because it neces-A sitates the use of specially constructed furnaces' and auxiliary equipment and a'v careful control of,

"the gas supplied thereto. Moreover where hydrogen isrused the large volume of hydrogen required to carry out the'process is both dangerous and expensive. As a result copper welding has not been used as freely as it otherwise would.

O ne of the objects of the present invention is to provide a process of brazing or welding, which is safe,`convenient and inexpensive. Another object is'to provide such a. process which maybe carried out in an ordinary gas, oil 'lor electric furnace without the useoi muiiles or other reducing gas containing chambers segregated from the products of combustion. z 40 A` further. object is to permit the direct' heating of the partsto be we1ded,by the furnace gases. f

A still further object is to improve the me` chanical properties of the welded .or brazed joint and to produce a denser and sounder weld metal. A further object is to promote' a proper fusion between 'the welding and brazihg metal and the parts to be joined and to promote a proper penetration' of the welding or braaing metal vinto the adjacent metals to be joined.

Afurther object is to, decrease the time required to eil'ect. the welding or 'bracing operation.

'or other alteration of the composition or struc- Aiwtner objects n wprevent' decarburmuon ture of the metals to be united, during the welding or brazing process.

Another object is to protect the parts to be united, both physically and chemically during the v welding or brazing operation. 5

A further object is to enable cooling of the parts/in air without oxidation or contamination of the parte. Y

A still further object is to increase the iluidity of the bonding metal and to decreasey the inter- 10 facial'tension between the bonding metal `an vthe parts to be lioined. l

Otherobjects and advantages will hereafter appear.

I'he terms welding hraZing" 'are used 15 without discrimination herein, to freier to the uniting ci' metal parts by an intermediate bonding metal, irrespective oi?V whether the bonding metal is only partially or completely alloyed with fz'o the metal of the parts joined thereby or whether mechanically bonded thereto, as by penetration into the intersticee othe joined metals, and the term bonding metal" is used to designate any metal .capable of alloying with'or mecham cally. 25' `bonding to the parte to be Joined.

In accordance with the present inventionan ordinary heat ftreatingfurnace may be employed for carrying out the weldingor brazing process by providing the same with a lithiated atmos- 30 A phere. Theuse of lithium compounds for prcducing afuinace atmosphere in which welding operations 4caribe performed is described in my copending application Serial No. 79,968, filed May 15, '1936, 'and entitled Metallurgical Process and .35 the present application is a continuation in part oiv said prior application. e The 'lithiated atmosphere may be provided in a gas fired furnace,

for instance, by introducing a small quantity of a compound of lithium. such as lithium carbonate, 40

oxide, hydroxide. chloride, or 4lithium containing ores such as spodumene or emhlygonite or mixtures thereof in powdered form, into the air or gasstreaml'eadingintothefurnaceoritmay, beiniected or blown directly into the furnace 45 through an aperture provided in one of the walls thereof. An apparatus for introducing the powdered lithium compounds directly intothe furnaceor intothealrvorgaeeonduitextendingthereintois fully disclceedin my eepending wnli- 50 cation Serial No. 143.410, filed )ley 10, 1937, and entitled injecting amaratus. In 'an oil nred furnace the lithium compounds may be added directly to the-oil, either as an oil soluble compound or 'in colloidal suspension. -A process of 55 treating fuel oil with lithium compounds is disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 154,203, filed July 17, 1937, and entitled Promotion of combustion. In the case of electric fur-v naces the lithium compounds may be mixed with powdered carbon, such as graphite, and the mixture blown in a fine spray into the furnace in .a rich lithium color when the furnace gases are viewed with the naked eye. Too great a quantity cannot be used, however, since it tends to extinguish the flame. The furnace should be operated on the reducing side, that is, with a slight deficiency of oxygen from that required for complete combustion so that the furnace gases will contain a small percentage of carbon monoxide, the purpose of which will hereinafter appear.

The lithium compounds introduced into the furnace result in the formation of lithium metal, lithium oxide and lithium carbonate in the furnace atmosphere. The lithium metal serves to eliminate free oxygen from the furnace atmosphere with the formation of lithium oxide. The lithium oxide unites with carbon monoxide in the furnace atmosphere to form lithium carbonate and metallic lithium. The lithium carbonate thermally dissociates into carbon dioxide and lithium oxide. \When the parts to be welded are placed in the furnace, compounds of lithium, mainly the oxide or carbonates, so present in the atmosphere condense thereon and form a protective coating over the surfaces, protecting the same from any oxidation and decarburization that might otherwise occur.' This coating remains on the parts throughout the welding process and as a result, as soon as the fusion of the bonding metal is complete, the parts may be immediately removed from the furnace and permitted to cool exteriorly thereof, differing in this respect from welding operations conducted in hydrogen or cracked hydrocarbon gases.

In carrying out the welding or brazing process of the present invention, the furnace is brought up to the welding temperature and the lithium compound is continuously or substantially continuously introduced -into the furnace or into the air or fuel stream leading to the furnace in such quantity as to produce a rich lith/lum color in the furnace gases. 'Ihe metal parts to be joined, either with alstrip or sheet of the bonding metal interposed therebetween or disposed adjacent the joint, are introduced into the furnace. The lithium not only neutralizes the oxidizing effect of the furnace gases but as stated, the parts immediately become coated with a protective layer I composed primarily of lithium compounds. The

maintain the coating thereon. The coating tends to vaporize from the parts as the heating continues and by maintaining a small continuous supply of the compound to the furnace, this evaporation is either prevented or additional amounts of the compound are deposited on the parts as the evaporation occurs, so that the coating is retained intact. The lithium compound coating on the parts may also act as a flux to assist in the brazing action but whatever the action of the lithiated atmosphere, either by direct action on the parts or due to such condensation or formation of a film thereon, the parts are retained free from oxidation and decarburization, the bonding metal becoming highly fluid, wetting both parts to be joined and flowing into intimate Contact therewith. As a result a sound homogeneous weld occurs which is actually stronger than the parts joined thereby.

The bonding materials are preferably copper and alloys containing copper, such as brass, german silver, silver or its alloys, etc'., and when ythe term copper or silver" is used herein and in the appended claims, the same is intended to include copper and copper containing alloys or silver and silver containing alloys. In the case of copper welding, a temperature of about 2100 F. is required whereas if brass, german silver, or silver are employed, the temperature will be reduced since the melting points thereof are somewhat lower than that of pure copper. For instance, with a brass of the composition 65% copper and 35% zinc, the welding or brazing temperature may be around 1750 F.

The materials to be joined may be of like metals such as iron t`o iron, or steel to steel or of unlike metals, such as copper to iron or ordinary steel to alloy steel and the process is useful in the production of such articles as turbine rotors, steel tubing, automotive and refrigerator parts, cylinder barrels, thermostatic metals, steel pul leys, etc. In fact, any two metals may be joined by employing as the bonding material a metal or alloy of lower melting point than either of such metals and capable of readily alloying or bonding with and spreading as a thin film over the contacting surfaces of the metals to be joined.

In order that the invention will be more fully understood, reference will be had to the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a treating furnace of the gas fired type, provided with means for providing a lithiated atmosphere therein;

Fig. 2 is a photomicrograph, taken at the magnitlcation of 100X of a copper weld between steel parts, produced in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 3 is a photomicrograph of magnification 500x, of that portion of the specimen shown vin the rectangle A of Fig. 2; and

- Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the Venturi tube $9 shown inning. l.v

Referring first to Fig. 1, I have shown e. conventional furnace i0 of the indirectly fired, hearth type, provided with burners Il designed to burn. either gas or oil. The furnace lining and other refractory parts of the furnace may be composed largely of silicon oxide. A lining which has been found suitable for treating temperatures up to about 1800? Ranalyzes as follows: silica 65%, alumina 25%, titanium oxide,1.2%, and the re,-l mainder impurities and volatile constituents. It is not necessary, however. that the lining be of this particular composition, sincelinings have been found satisfactory having a silica content as low as about 31% with approximately 62% alumina and the remainder mainly iron oxide and titanium oxide. However, the furnace lining may be composed of hard burned brick of low permeability and low porosity containing approximately 50% silica and 44% alumina, having a bulk densi. vty of about 1.2 oz. per cu.'inch and a fusion point e of about 3200 F. For furnaces operating at temperatures below about 1800 F. a less dense and 'i0 less refractory brick may be employed. A suitable employed in such moulded linings and the highv "permeability thereoi.- i Linings, hearths and other refractory parts of the furnacewconsisting of or' @n containing silicon carbide have been found to react detrimentally with the lithium of the atmosi phere, due possibly` to the nature of the binder coonly employed, causing breakdown of the refractory and to some extent, reduction in the ya emciency ci? lthe lithium containing atmosphere niur its intended purpose. When the lithium or its compounds are introduced into` the furnace through the burner ,orat a point adjacent there-- to, the flame should not impinge directly on the gw reiractory, particularly in furnaces operated at high temperatures. Disposed upon the hearth l2 are the parts` to be welded or brazed'. The parts it 'represent steel pulleys comprising a shiv I4 and hub it, which preferably have a close sliding or to. drive nt on each other. If the parts to be joined are sumciently close together the welding metal will alloy completely with the metal of the parts to that there will be substantially no free or unolioyed welding or brazing metal betweenl the M parte and the surfaces will be united by a strong interstitial alloy. The welding or braz'ing metal in the example given consist of a ring i8 of copper or brass wire disposed about the hub of the pulley adjacent the joint. As a further example, two por rteel'plates I'l and i8 are shown having a thin sheet it of copper placed therebetween. .'.Preferahly the plates il and I8 are clamped together in order to increase the contact therebetween.

The furnace is providedwith a supply of a lcomto: pound of lithium, such as lithium carbonate, through a conduit 2i Aextending through lthe wall' oi the' furnace above one of the burners. A supu ply of lithium compound may be provided by an iniecting apparatuslofthe form. shown in the nioresaid application Ser. No. 143,410. In Fig. 1, i have shown a modified form of such apparatus their comprising a container 23 consisting of a cylindrical tuba, preferably of glass, 4having flanged upper and'ldwer closure members 25 and 23-rewtapectively clamped against the ends of the tube 2l f in any suitable manner, with interposed gaskets di.: Extending axially through the container 23 ls a shaft 2B, journaled'in the closure members 23 and 2B. The shaft 2811s driven through suitable Til" reducing gears 29/ by a motor 3|. Mounted upon l the shaft 28 are several sets of'blades 32, adapted to agitato the powdered lithium carbonate which is contained in the chamber 23. Air under pressui-,e is supplied by a blower. also driven by the tu.' motor 3|, the air being conducted by a tube' 34,

into the lower wall of the container 23 and pass-- `by-pass a part of the air from the blower 33 through a conduit 31, providedwith a suitable regulating valve 33. The air owing in conduit 31 is conducted through a Venturi tube 3,9, shown in detail in Fig. 4, disposed adjacent the outlet 40 of the container 23, so as to assist in the withdrawal of the compound laden air from said container. The additional air provided through the conduit `3l not only serves to maintain the terminal of the conduit 2l cool, but is supplied at sufficient pressure to blow the powdered compound through the conduit at such speed that fusing thereof to the wall of the tube, adjacent its tip is prevented. er f In place of employing air to inspirate the powdered compound I may supplygas or a combusti ble mixture of air and gas to the inlet of the blower 33. By supplying a gas and air mixture tothe blower, the ratio of gas and air in the furnace isl not disturbed by the fluid medium employed to convey the powders into the furnace. Where such combustible mixture is employed, preferably a flame arresting valve is included in the' line'2i vextending into the furnace to prevent back hash through the line. If desired, a screen or mesh may be disposed about the end of the conduit 2i to break up the flame and also to prevent flash back. The inlet 2i should preferably belocated relative to the parts to be heated so that the lithium compound laden gas stream does not impinge directly on such parts but that'the compound will .be first reduced to metallic forrn and diffused into the furnace atmosphere, particularly when "air is used' astheinspirating or carrying medium.

In carrying out the present process the furnace is brought up to heat and the motor ti started. a

The valve 3b is then opened to permit air or a gaa and air mixture from the blower to pass through the chamber 23. In so doing it picks up some of the powdered lithium compound carrying it into the furnace il. Under the conditions prevailing inthe furnace the lithium compound, or at least a portion thereof. breaks down liberating free metallic lithium. The reaction is apparentlyflrsti theformation of lithium oxide which reacts with carbon monoxide as follows:

lThe lithium carbonate of the above reaction is again broken down to lithum .oxide liberating 'carbon dioxide and the reaction is repeated.

therein of the parts to be .welded and the temperature attained in the furnaceliffThe carbonate is naked ye. The amount of the compound repreferred for general use due to its ease of handling, and its relatively cheap cost. The amount of any particular lithium compound to be used, in order to provide the desired protective coating, fluidity of the bonding metal and consequently its proper penetration into the metal to be joined, can be readily determined by experiment, as for instance by making one or more test heats or the parts can be observed as the heating continues to determine if a proper coating is forming thereon. I have found, rin certain gas furnaces red with artificial gas that excellent results are obtained with the use of approximately 0.008 ounce of lithium carbonate per cubic foot of gas but the amount required is not critical and may vary within wide limits either side of the figures mentioned. Equivalent amounts are required in oil burning furnace for equal heat generation. In electric furnaces I add carbon monoxide to the furnace or a supply of carbon from which carbon monoxide may be generated, in order to obtain a reduction of the lithium oxide in accordance with the foregoing equation. When the proper lithium condition is obtained in the furnace, the parts to be treated are introduced therein, as through the door 22. If` desired the parts may be placed on a traveling conveyor and passed through the furnace at such rate as to -dense and sound.

complete the welding operation during their passage' therethrough.l The door 22 may be opened freely during the process, for the intr0. duction or removal of parts or it may be left open continuously, if desired, without danger of oxidation ofthe parts.

I'he temperature of the furnace, at the heating zone, must be suiilcient to melt the welding or brazing metal. The free metallic lithium which is always present in the furnace, as determined by spectroscopic analysis of the furnace gases, exerts a cleansing action on the metals to be joined, thereby putting the surfaces thereof in the optimum condition for alloying with the bonding metal. The lithium acts on the bonding metal to render the same-oxygen free and also more fluid upon melting, and as a result of this and the clean condition of the surfaces to be joined. it readily wets such surfaces and flowsl freely between the parts, penetrating into the surface of the metals to be joined and thereby promoting a strong alloy bond. Bince the bonding metal is rendered gas free by the lithium, it is extremely 'Ihe presence of the lithum metal in the,fur

nace gases permits the welding process to be carried out without the use of protective muiies, and

directly in the furnace gases without scaling, de-` carburization or other detrimental eect on the metal parts being united. In fact none of the embrittling effects or other modification of the `grain structure obtained in welding in hydrogen or other reducing gases, are experienced. Furthermore, as stated, there is a deposition or condensation of the lithium and/or lithium coming`deposits apparently either ,as an oxide or a 'nsI carbonate of lithium or both and adheres to the parts throughout the welding or brazing operation and after removal from the furnace, so that hydrochloric acid. An inhibitor is preferably Y brazing metal fuses very quickly and since the when the welding is complete the parts may be immediately removed from the furnace and cooled in the air. Upon cooling the coating appears to be mostly the carbonate of lithium.

The valve 35 is kept open or partially open 5 throughout the process so 'as to supply the lithium compound continuously to the furnace during the welding operation, but of course, if desired, vthe amount of compound may be varied as the welding process continues. As was stated, a copious supply of the lithium compound may be supplied immediately after the parts are'placed in the furnace, to insure the rapid formation of a protective coating thereon, the amount being thereafter reduced to .a'point just suiiicient to maintain a pronounced lithium containing atmosphere in the furnace. If desired the compound may be supplied in frequent but intermittent increments.

The nature, appearance and color of the protective coating vary with the type of furnace employed, the location and composition of the Darts therein, the amount of the compound used and the temperature and period heating. In some instances the coating formed is not visible, the parts, however, remaining clean and unoxif dizeci.v The coating may be readily removed by dipping the parts, either when hot or after cooling, in a weak acid solution, such as acetic or 30 added to the acid to prevent etching oi the metal. The parts, after the coating has been dissolved therefrom, are bright, the entire process being eifected without lthe removal of any detachable amount of metal from the parts joined together.

Since the parts may be introduced directly into the furnace when the furnace isv up to the welding or brazing temperature, and heated by direct contact with the furnace gases, the welding or 40 pants may then be removed immediately from the furnace without preliminary cooling, itis evident that the entire process may be conducted in a very short period of time as compared to prior processes which require a more gradual and indirect heating of the parts in a protective gas, such as hydrogen or cracked hydro-carbon gases, and subsequent gradual cooling thereof in the, pro tective gas.

In Figs. 2 and 3 I have shown photomicrographs of two steel parts I and 2, united by an intermediate layer of copper.` Fig. 2 is of lOOX mgniflcationand Fig. 3 is a magnification of 500x, of that part of the specimen shown in the rectangle A of Fig. V2. It will be noted that at each side of the copper 3 is a layer or strata 4 and 5, appearing asblacl: areas, due to the 9.o-, tion of the etching solution, of iron copper alloy, showing that the Copper has penetrated and alloyed with theiron to a considerably greater 60 depth .than similar metals welded or brazed in hydrogen or other reducing gases. vThe depth of the penetration of the copper indicates wtreme cleanliness of both the steel and the copper and great 'fluidi-ty' of the copper resulting' from the action of the lithium thereon. L

It is obvious, of course, that many vari-ations may be made in the process described, without departing from the invention and I contemplate all such changes and modications thereof as 7 come within the confines of the appended claims.

What I claim is: 1. The method of intimately uniting metal parts whiehcomprises heating said parts, in the v presence of lithium vapor, in contact with a 7| casacca houding metal of lower melting point than the metal of said parts and continuing the heating until fusion of the :bonding metal occurs.

2. The method of welding or brazing. ferrous metals with ahondingmetal of copper or silver which comprises heating 'said ferrous metals in lwhich comprises heating said ferrous metals in contact with each other in a combustion furnace to a temperature at least equal to the fusion tem- .perature of the Ibonding metal, applying .the bonding metal in a fused condition to the :juncture of said parts and maintaining a substantially continuous atmosphere containing lithium in the furnace during such heating.

4. The method hoi. intimately uniting metal parts which commises' heating' said parts, in a furnace contaning carbon monoxide, in contact with a bonding metal of lower melting point until fusion of the .bonding metal occurs and introducing a compound of lithium into the furnace atmosphere 4during said heating.

5. The method of intimately uniting metal pants which comprises heating said parts' 'in a non-oxidizing lithium containing atmosphere in contact with a bonding metal of lower melting point until fusion of the bonding metal occurs.

6. 'I'he method of intimately uniting metal'- pants .by an intermedi-ate bonding metal whichv comprises lheating said' parts in a furnace in contactwith said bonding metal while the latter is in a fused condition, and 'introducing lithium carhonate int the furnace during said heating.

'1. The method of intimately uniting metal pants -by an intermediate bonding metal which 'comprises heating said parts in contact with .the bonding metal in a furnace 1to at least the fusion Y temperature of the bonding metal, and introparts which comprises heating said pants in conducing a decomposable lithium salt into .the furnace atmosphere, vduring said heating, in sufii.

cient quantity toproduce a protective coatingy on said parts by deposition from the furnace atmosp ere.

8. The method of intimately uniting metal tact with each other and a lower melting point bonding metal while the latter is in a molten condition and providing'such .parts with a protectlve coating consisting solely of lithium salts, throughout the heating. 1

9. 'I'he method of intimately uniting metal pants which comprises heating said parts in conbonding metal while the latter is in a molten condition nad providingv a lithium containing atmosphere in said furnace ,ofsuch concentration :V tact with each other and a lower melting point as to cause a deposition lof -a lithium compound on said parts.

10. The method of intimately uniting metal t parts which comprises heating said pants in contact. with each other and a lower melting point -bonding metal while the latter is in -a molten condition, providing a lithium containing atmosphere around said parts of suflicient concentration to caues fthe deposit on such .parts of a protective coating of lithium salt, and subsequently treating said parts in an acid solution to remove said coating.

1i. The method' of 'V intimately uniting metal pants which comprises heating said parts in conrtact with each other and a lower melting point bonding metal while the latter is in a molten condi-tion, providing a lithium containing atmospherearound said parts of suflicient concentration to cause the deposit on such parts of a protective coating of a metallic salt and removing sai'd coating during or after cooling of said parts.

12.,The method of intimately' uniting ferrous metal parts which comprises heating said par-ts in contact with each other and a lbonding metal of lower melting point :ln a furnace. in direct contact with the furnace gases. to at least the melting point of said bonding metal and preventing oxidation and decarhurization of said ferrous metals by providing aprotective lithium containing atmosphere in the furnace during the heating.

13. The .method of intimately uniting metal parts which comprises heating said parts ln contact with a bonding metal of lower melting point 

